Bonnie Cashin Archive & Lecture Series at UCLA

katev

"The Bag Whisperer!"
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Dec 18, 2009
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The first link below is a recording of the John Fante Lecture that took place last year at UCLA's special collections library as part of the Bonnie Cashin Lecture Series. The recording gives information (from 1:30 through 3:42 minutes) about Bonnie Cashin and her foundation's endowment of the lecture series. The other 2 links are about the Bonnie Cashin archival collection housed at UCLA for research purposes.

Bonnie Cashin was the innovative fashion designer that created and launched Coach's first handbags in the 1960s; so we can all thank (or blame!) Bonnie for our Coach addictions!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OuCbEZ5FuM&feature=relmfu

http://www2.library.ucla.edu/pdf/dev_news_03_fall.pdf

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/6070
 

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I just wanted to update this older thread with the new link to the Bonnie Cashin digital archive at UCLA:
http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0002bk1c

I enjoy browsing through this wonderful online resource; here's a Cashin sketch for Coach for "fringy swingy things" and a "chunky little satchel"

:smile:
This is fascinating, Katev. Thank you for posting this wonderful resource. Have you seen the book on Bonnie Cashin by Dr. Stephanie Lake? I have not seen it IRL only online. I did by the Coach 75th anniversary book from Amazon hoping to get this type of information. It was a total disappointment IMO. Too many pics of celebs in NYC and not enough Coach bags! Back it went. I have a feeling the Cashin book is more in line with these photos. I especially loved her handbag sketches and notes.
 
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This is fascinating, Katev. Thank you for posting this wonderful resource. Have you seen the book on Bonnie Cashin by Dr. Stephanie Lake? I have not seen it IRL only online. I did by the Coach 75th anniversary book from Amazon hoping to get this type of information. It was a total disappointment IMO. Too many pics of celebs in NYC and not enough Coach bags! Back it went. I have a feeling the Cashin book is more in line with these photos. I especially loved her handbag sketches and notes.

No, I have not seen that book but I will look for it, thanks!

I have enjoyed watching old movies with costumes designed by Bonnie Cashin; unfortunately most of them are in black and white but I think that the clothes on Gene Tierney in Laura are fabulous. I recently read that Cashin did the costumes for Anna and the King of Siam starring Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison and I am looking forward to seeing that film which was a non-musical prequel to The King and I.
 
No, I have not seen that book but I will look for it, thanks!

I have enjoyed watching old movies with costumes designed by Bonnie Cashin; unfortunately most of them are in black and white but I think that the clothes on Gene Tierney in Laura are fabulous. I recently read that Cashin did the costumes for Anna and the King of Siam starring Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison and I am looking forward to seeing that film which was a non-musical prequel to The King and I.
No, I have not seen that book but I will look for it, thanks!

I have enjoyed watching old movies with costumes designed by Bonnie Cashin; unfortunately most of them are in black and white but I think that the clothes on Gene Tierney in Laura are fabulous. I recently read that Cashin did the costumes for Anna and the King of Siam starring Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison and I am looking forward to seeing that film which was a non-musical prequel to The King and I.


Wow, NOW I am really interested in looking for her costume designs in those movies! Thx again!
 
Wow, NOW I am really interested in looking for her costume designs in those movies! Thx again!

You might also be interested in A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, a black & white classic from 1945. It is about a poor family living in Brooklyn in the early 1900s and their clothes are very convincing and appropriate for the period and their social status, but I think that Bonnie Cashin really had some fun in designing Joan Blondell's wardrobe!

She plays Aunt Sissy, a rather scandalous but good-hearted woman. If you are interested, there are a few clips from the film at the link below featuring Joan Blondell in 3 of her Aunt Sissy costumes! It is a long clip but the second scene starts at 10:25 and the third begins at 13:30.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxUsJcGq9QQ

And is an article and photos of Bonnie Cashin's designs for Gene Tierney in Laura, I love that film!
https://alisonkerr.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/style-on-film-laura/
 
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You might also be interested in A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, a black & white classic from 1945. It is about a poor family living in Brooklyn in the early 1900s and their clothes are very convincing and appropriate for the period and their social status, but I think that Bonnie Cashin really had some fun in designing Joan Blondell's wardrobe!

She plays Aunt Sissy, a rather scandalous but good-hearted woman. If you are interested, there are a few clips from the film at the link below featuring Joan Blondell in 3 of her Aunt Sissy costumes! It is a long clip but the second scene starts at 10:25 and the third begins at 13:30.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxUsJcGq9QQ

And is an article and photos of Bonnie Cashin's designs for Gene Tierney in Laura, I love that film!
https://alisonkerr.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/style-on-film-laura/
I love the film Laura, too. I had no idea Cashin did the costumes. Thank you for these links.
The book is Bonnie Cashin: Chic is Where You Find It by Stephanie Lake. You can look inside the book on Amazon. It looks as if it has more information on her handbags from what I can tell. Cashin left her archives to Lake.
 
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No, I have not seen that book but I will look for it, thanks!

I have enjoyed watching old movies with costumes designed by Bonnie Cashin; unfortunately most of them are in black and white but I think that the clothes on Gene Tierney in Laura are fabulous. I recently read that Cashin did the costumes for Anna and the King of Siam starring Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison and I am looking forward to seeing that film which was a non-musical prequel to The King and I.
We watch old movies, mostly from the 30s and 40s every night. We always make a point of seeing who designed the costumes, or ,as they called it back then, "gowns" even when they weren't gowns. I'm always excited to see Bonnie Cashin's name.
 
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